The Time You Were Gone | Eremin Story

With another view

~Chapter 26 of part 2~

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wo hours had passed since the disaster. That's what Alger thought of it, but if you asked his daughter instead, she would have agreed for it to be a disaster, but the understanding of it would be different. Yes, she thought it was a mistake to happen, but the fault was entirely her father's.

Right now she didn't have the guts to say it to his face, even though she swore many times she would, in the face of her big brother. Talking about him, he was still locked in his room.

Historia sighed at the view of her father still standing on the same sofa. She hated to admit a part of her felt bad for him too. Looking at his heartbroken expression, her own heart had started to ache. The memory was still fresh for all of them.

"You shouldn't have said these things to him." Her quiet voice sounded as she stood in front of him. "He looked.. Really hurt by your words."

"And what about me? Am I not hurt?" Alger replied with a question that made his daughter's blood start to boil. For this matter, she decided to leave it for now.

A knock on the door sounded. Unusual for 8 in the evening.

***

Historia leaned forward with her head feeling heavier than usual, making a step after step to the front door on which a knock had sounded just seconds ago. The conversation isn't over, she wanted to say, but was too angry to. Besides, it wasn't going to help anyhow. The old man just heard what he wanted to hear, that's it. It has been like this ever since she could remember.

Turning the handle with a small clicking sound, she poked her head through the small opening, having to look up at the tall man she had never seen before. Taken a little aback, she now opened the door completely, not to let a complete stranger in, but not to seem so rude and talk through a crack.

The man seemed like he had been in a rush coming here, his hair was uncombed and spilled everywhere, his clothes weren't ironed, not like Arlert's family were some important people, but still. It was obviously not planned.

"Good evening.." He started with a confused voice, Historia replied with an even more confused nod. Noticing her reaction, he quickly tensed and straightened his back, trying to clear his throat as if he was the nervous one. "Excuse my uninvited appearance, it's just that my son.."

"Dad?" All of them, including Alger looked up at the top of the stairs at the source of the new voice. The teenager stood still, unrested, staring back at the man at the front door. Behind him, another teenager appeared with the same unsure look on his face.

The man, dad, Historia assumed, nodded at the call. She wasn't sure what was the most surprising part - his appearance in general, the fact Eren was upstairs the whole time or the relation between the two of them. She continued to only stare, unsure of next proper actions.

"What is going on?" A voice rattled harshly in between them, this time they all knew who it was. The siblings' father, first looking at the so called uninvited guest in confusion, next dedicated his angry stare at Armin's "friend". "What are you doing here? Who let you in?"

Even felt his stomach twist at his harsh tone, he opened his lips to apologize but Armin was faster to defend him. "He doesn't need an invitation to be here!" Alger now moved his eyes to his son, but they didn't go soft.

"He does as long as it's under the roof of the house I pay for! Especially him." He spat out the last words as if they were posion. Armin's heart ached. This wasn't supposed to happen. He felt his hand being caught behind Eren, away from any eyes. It did raise his spirits a little bit.